Start Here

As I have discovered more and more about the PA profession, I have learned better ways to prepare myself to apply to a program and one day become a PA. I have changed plans countless times and looking back, have a few thought on how I wish I had started. So, if you are new to this, if you have only been considering becoming a PA for a short wile, if you are new to this journey, I have some advise in those first few steps. If you've been at this a while, make sure you have some basics covered and please, let me know what I've missed. I'm still learning, so maybe we can help each other out.

First steps, which can be done in any order, but should be done soon:

 - Get CPR Certified. If you are training to be in a health care position, you've got this covered. Otherwise, you might be thinking of putting this off until later. Don't. CPR has been the bedrock of first response/emergency care for several decades now. It's the first thing you do in any program (EMT, CNA, RT, etc). It pushes you across the line, making you someone who is responsible to respond if something happens. you might want to go one step further and be a first responder.

 - Do some basic Research. Usually this is a montage in a movie or TV show, because it isn't interesting to watch. Sit down, put on some good music, and read up. Find out what a PA does, where the profession came from, and how it compares to other health care roles. The AAPA website is a great place to start. The next step is to find a PA to shadow to get some real context, but I would suggest reading up first.

 - Get good grades. I didn't focus on school the first time around, so I've had to dig myself out of a GPA pit. It isn't easy, it takes a lot of time and money. Get good grades right now. Even if its a class that doesn't mater. Even if your professor is terrible and doesn't grade fairly. Even if you only think you might be interested in this or any profession. Good grades will not hold you back later in life, but bad grades might.

 - Get advise from people who have been there. I started these interviews a year before I thought to blog them. Hearing first hand from people what they experienced and what they recommend is incredibly valuable. Find blogs. Find people who work in health care and ask them about it. You'll be better equipped to interpret what you read.

 - Serve someone beyond yourself. Find a leadership role, a service group, or some way to give to back to one of your communities. If you are enrolled at a college, this should be a painless step. Any health care profession is about serving, and the PA profession embodies that more than most. Make it a practice, make it part of your weekly routine, make it part of your identity. It doesn't have to be grand or impressive or long hours, but it does need to benefit someone other than you. If you haven't read it, I have a post of advise from Dr. Scott Wright. That's a great place to start reading.